WATER FRIENDLY

There’s no better place to be than on the water.

If you agree with that, you’re like us: Water-Friendly. We build ‘Water-Friendly’ designs that improve your experience. It doesn’t matter whether you fish, dive, camp, sail or just paddle. Whatever your adventure, we’re focused on making it even better.

We built our first sit-on-top kayak in 1971. That same kayak still paddles amazingly well. In fact, it outperforms most of the boats available on the market today. We attribute it’s success in part to a young man’s laser focus to get where he desperately wanted to be. He wanted to break through the Malibu surf to go diving.

Swell Watercraft strives for the same goal- to get you where you want to be. We want you to paddle further, longer, through big waves & wind, across glassy flats, with grace and style, safely to your destination- wherever that is.

Our dedication is simple: we design the world’s best small boats to deliver cutting edge performance in the toughest conditions on earth. We personalize them for you. Then you take them out on the water and rip. ‘Water-Friendly’ designs for ‘Water-Friendly’ humans.

Team

Jim Marsh

Marsh spent the last 10 years as Publisher at Canoe & Kayak Magazine, and was founding Publisher at SUP and Kayak Fish. He manages the business and handles sales, marketing, communications and whatever tasks happen to fall his way. Originally drawn to the water as a raft guide, Marsh claims to have paddled every type of boat imaginable. He’s an avid kayaker, fly-fisherman and snowboarder, never missing an opportunity to get outside, especially when his 2 sons and German Shepherd are involved.

Tim Niemier

Starting in 1971, Tim introduced the sit-on-top kayak to the masses through his company Ocean Kayak and turned paddling into a recreational activity anyone could do. It’s been said there are more kayaks on earth today designed by him than any other single person. he conceived and designed the Scupper as an update to his kayak lineage. Although not an owner, his wisdom and experience guide the vision of Swell.

Adam Bierschenk

Hailing originally from Eureka, CA, Adam’s first love was sailing. After completely renovating a houseboat, he started a passion for working with wooden boats that would take him up and down the West Coast a few times. Eventually he ended up designing at Ocean Kayak. Bierschenk does all of Swell’s CAD (Computer Aided Design) and machining work. He’s an expert with anything mechanical and spends his time either slaving on the computer or in the shop getting everything dirty.

Ted Keyes

During college Ted taught whitewater kayaking at the Colorado State University Outdoor Program. Eventually he became a sponsored paddler at Wave Sport kayaks, and then progressed to become a sales rep. Today Ted is a professional sales rep in the ski, outdoor and kayak markets and lives in rural Idaho. He has formerly worked with Wilderness Systems and Native Watercraft. A road warrior, Ted covers the entire Western United States for Swell. He brings a vast knowledge of the kayak and outdoor world, as well as an enormous capacity for having fun on and off the water.